Control device such as switches and the like



April 23, 1935. s. M. ROBERTS CONTROL DEVICE SUCH AS SWITCHES AND THE LIKE Filed March 15, 1952 e2 ISnnentor 54 Jen 4rd M 12mm 7/? xttomeg ff; ,UNlTED STATE Patented Apr. 23, 1935 CONTROL DEVICE SUCH AS SWITCHES AND THE LIKE Seward M. Roberts, Orange, N. J.

Application March 15,

9 Claims.

'The present invention relates to devices for somewhat remotely controlling certain mechanisms such, for example, as a direction indicator or other apparatus onan automobile. The invention is especially concerned with control devices in the form'of electrical switches and, when these devices are utilized on automobiles, with the particular location of said switches. I

The present application is in part a continuation of my copending application, Serial Number 257,650, filed February 28, 1928. In that'application there is disclosed a control device, in the form of a switch mounted on the gear shift lever of an automobile, for convenient manipulation to control the lights of a direction indicating apparatus. The general control system and the switch device are carried forward intothe present ap lication.

' It is a primary object of this invention to equip an automobile with a device for somewhat remotely controlling a part of the automobile mechanism and, in so doing, to mount the device within convenient reach of the driver upon one of the hand operable levers such as the gear shift lever. This arrangement is especially convenient where it may be desirable to manipulate both the control device and the lever substantially simultaneously. For example, when the device controls a direction indicating signal and the lever controls the transmission gearing, a simultaneous operation of both elements often will be desired when the vehicle has been stopped prior to being turned in a street intersection or has been slowed down for making a right or left turn.

It is a further object of my invention to mount the control device upon the upper end of a lever up I in the form of a knob that can be conveniently manipulated, at least in part, by hand pressure.

Another major object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved type of elec trical switch, particularly one of suitable design for special cooperation in the combinations referred to above. .Other important objects, subordinate to those just stated, are as follows.

It is an object of my invention to devise a remote control device consisting of two main complemental parts, one of which is designed to be secured upon the end of a post and to shiftably receive the other part. The shifting movement preferably is rotational, and in some instances it may be desirable to provide means for releasably holding the parts in one or more of their selective positions while in other cases it may be desirable 1932, Serial No. 598,994

to utilize means for normally biasing the parts toward a particular relative position.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of an electrical switch comprising complemental parts one of which mustbe recipro- I cated against a yielding resistance and thereafter rotated into one of its selective positions.

A further object is to devise a switch comprising a block and housing relatively rotatable and provided with contact elementsat-least one of which serves the function of a stop for defining one of the switch positions. In this connection it is a more specific object to provide astop-pin or the like on thehousing and a "complemental recess in the block. I

I Still another object of my invention is to provide a switch comprising" two complemental portions, contact elements and improved means especially adapted for connecting the terminal of a conducting wire with one of the contact elements of this type of switch.

These and other important objects of the present invention will fully appear upon a studyoi the following detailed, description and its; appended claims when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein: a

Figure 1 shows, somewhat diagrammatically and in perspective, a part of the interior of an automobile body equipped with a'preferred and exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The control device on the gear shift lever represents any one of the specifically illustrated forms of the other views.

Figure 2 is a central section taken longitudinally of one form of electrical switch of this invention, assembled on a post which may be, for example, the gear shift lever of Figure 1. v

Figure 3 constitutes a top plan view of the housed block part of the same switch, seen when looking upon the plane of line 33 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of line 4'-4 in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the block of Figure 3, as seen when looking upon the plane of line 5-5 in Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic'illustrationof the electrical circuit utilized in Figure 1.

Figure '7, in a. sectional view like that of Figure 2, shows a modified form of switch.

Figure 8 represents a bottom plan view of the housed block of Figure'l', as seen when looking on the plane of line 8-8, Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a longitudinal central section taken through a third form of the switch of the present invention.

Figure 10 is a bottom plan view of the switch of Figure 9.

With continued reference to the drawing, wherein like numerals are employed to desig nate corresponding parts, and with particular reference for the moment to Figures 1 and 6, the numeral i 2 indicates generally an automobile body having a drivers seat l3, a control lever l4 extending upwardly adjacent the seat for convenient manipulation, and a rear View mirror assembly IS. The mirror assembly includes a bracket l6 which supports a direction indicating apparatus ll that is visible from both the front and rear of the vehicle.

As fully disclosed in my aforementioned copending application, the indicating apparatus l7 consists of a centrally partitioned tube having onclosed end lamps !3 (Figure 6) for selective illumination of translucent signaling arrows 20. These lamps are separately connected by wires 2i to the positive side of a battery 22 that is conventionally grounded on the vehicle frame; and each may be lighted by selective manipulation of a control switch S that is grounded on the frame. The wires 2! are insulated and are sheathed by a flexible conduit 23 which is carried along the control lever 14 to the switch S at the upper end of the latter. The switch may take any one of a number of suitable forms, several of which (S1, S2, and S3) will now be described in detail.

The switch S1, disclosed in Figures 25, comprises a cylindrical block 24 axially screwed upon the upper end of the post or lever M and locked thereon by a countersunk set screw 25, and a smooth housing in the form of a knob 28 that slidably and rotatably fits upon the block. The material of these parts is aluminum or other metal that will conduct electricity. The block has an eccentric vertical hole 2'! through which the conduit 23 is passed upwardly; and has a pair of vertical channels 28 spaced from each other and uniformly spaced from the hole 2?. These channels are adjacent the cylindrical wall of the block and designed to receive the insulated wires 2! after the latter have been passed to them from the hole 21. The terminals of the wires are connected to contact elements in a manner yet to be described.

Substantially midway between the channels 28, the lower surface of the block has a radial semicylindrical recess 39 designed to cooperate with the inwardly projecting smooth end 3| of a special screw 32 that is rigidly, but readily detachably carried by the housing 26. The threaded portion of the screw is sufiiciently short that it will not extend entirely through the housing wall. A non-conducting circular disc 33 is forced downwardly upon the upper side of the block and wire assembly by a yielding compression sprin 34, and hence the knob 26 has a tendency to slide upwardly off the block. The screw end or pin 3|, however, limits this sliding movement and cooperates with the spring and channel 30 in such manner that the knob cannot be rotated from its illustrated position until it first has been depressed slightly against the resistance of the spring. The latter further serves as an anti-rattle device; and has sufficient strength to cause a frictional engagement between the pin and block, that will develop a substantial resistance to rotation even when the pin is out of the channel 3!. Further anti-rattle means may be provided in the form of a coil spring 25' between the set screw 25 and the knob 26.

The lower face of the block 24 has a pair of intersecting grooves 35 (see Figure 5) cut or formed therein to provide locating edges for a corresponding pair of electrical contact plates The grooves are so cut that the plates will be located adjacent the channel 39 on opposite sides of the latter, permitting the pin 3| to engage either one or the other plate when the knob is rotated slightly in'a selected direction. Thin rectangular sheets 3? of insulating material, such as vaxed paper, are fastened with shellac upon the grooved block surface, and the plates are drawn against these sheets by the heads of conducting posts the form of screw-bolts 38, the threaded portion of which project upwardly into the vertical channels 28 to receive nuts 49 (see Figures and 4). Non-conducting washers M -ed below the nuts 40 to complete the n of the plates and posts relative to the The washers are or such diameter that they cannot move transversely of the channels 28, and hence they serve to align the posts 38 axially of the channels and keep them out of contact with the lower reduced ends of the latter.

The posts 38 have axial bores 42 forming socks ior dethably but snugly receiving the plugs of terminal fittings M to which the conduct 1;; wires 2i are connected. The method, of ca. the wires Zl upwardly through the block and then freely inserting their terminals 5 in the sockets, can be very quickly performed without the use of tools or fastening elements. The pressure of the spring 34 ensures that the terminals shall not be accidentally displaced. It

should be observed, then, that the block, housing, 'f'

and conductor terminals are all conveniently assembled by means of a single screw (32), and that the simplicity of the assembly is still further increased by the utilization of this same screw as a contact element and a stop device.

When the above described control device is employed in the combination seen in Figures 1 and 6, current from the battery 22 can pass through one of the lamps l8 only when the pin 3| (which is grounded by way of the knob, block and shift lever), is brought into engagement with the corresponding contact plate by depression and selective rotation of the knob. It should be understood that the switch S in the circuit of Figure 6 my be insulated against grounding, and the battery 22 placed in the left end of the diagram with its positive terminal connected to the shiftable switch element. It also is possible to place the pair of contacts on the shiftable portion, and the single switch element (3!) on the stationary portion of the assembly.

The bolt heads of the screws 38 serve as stops to limit the degree of knob oscillation. The knob will remain in its selected circuit closing position until it is manually returned to its illustrated neutral position (Figure 2). The return movement does not require knob depression, and neutral is ensured by the snapping of the pin 3! into its channel 35.

It will often be desirable to utilize bakelite or some other non-conducting material in the switch, and a modified switch S2 for accomplishing this and other objects, is shown in Figures 7 and 8. This modified switch comprises a fibrous or composition knob 26a having a cup-shaped the upper side of the block to form a sto for the washer 4ll-rnay react against to prevent the block assembly from turning inadvertently relative to the lever'l'4.- I

A spring 34 urges the knob assemblyupwardly .as'far as is permitted bythe pin 31' of a screw 32a. The threaded portion of the screw cooperates with the shell 45 inorder to ground the pin 3| byway of the shell,'the spring 34,the disc 41, either the bushing 01 lock washer, and the lever 14. Iii-cases where the shell is made of extremely light or thin'inaterial, a nut may be brazed thereon, within the knob recess 50, for the purpose of providing a suitable support" for the threaded screw-portion. i

The same general method of Figures 2-5 for connecting the-wires 2| into the switchmaybe utilized by eliminatingthe-insulation31, 4| and utilizing the screw 25 and spring 25 for completing thecircuit but there is illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 an alternative method. eyescrew'5l is'embedded in the lower side of the block and has its eye closely loopedor pinched upon the sheathing 23 to support the latter. The terminals of thejw'ires 2! have plug fittings 44 which are shovedvertically into contact posts 38a with'africtional fit. These posts are similar in design to thoseof Fig-ure4, but they require no added insulation and their ends may be embedded or screwed directly into the block. The posts hold a pair of contact plates 35a in recessed position on the block surface on opposite sides of the pin recess 30.

The operation of the switch just described is substantially the same as that outlined for the form of Figures 2-5. The plates 36a are connected to the positive side or the battery through the lamps, and to the negative side when the knob assembly is shifted to engage the plates with'the grounded pin 3|.

'In some instances it may be desirable to construct the switch in a manner to permit use of theoriginal automobile shift knob. It may also be found advantageous to design the switch for automatic return to neutral position. The control device illustrated in Figures 9 and accomplishes both these objects. The switch S3 comprises a block portion 24b having a. threaded hole 52 designed to receive the upper threaded end of the control lever, and a housing portion 26b provided with a threaded extension 53 adapted to receive the conventional knob that has been removed from said upper end of the lever. Partially surrounding the hole 52 and secured on the block by a screw 54 is a thin curved plate 55 having downwardly offset contact fingers 56.

The block 2419 is provided with a circular groove 51. Adjacent its upper end and in which there is removably disposed a circular helical spring 58 secured to the block at one point by a suitable screw 60. The housing b carries a screw 6| at a point normally diametrically opposite the screw 58, and this screw 6| projects between certain convolutions of the coil spring, as a result of which it follows that the spring automatically returns the housing to the illustrated relationship after oscillation of the. latter in either direction.

A pair of contact elements 52 are carried by I the housing at points spaced below the block and The fingers of course help to limit the relative rotational movement, and the compressed spring opens the circuit'whenever the knob is released. In mounting the switch S3 upon a controllever,

itis necessary that-the block 24!) and'its bushing 3 46 be tightly screwed into place, and to provide for this a hole 63 maybe drilled throughthe housing andinto the block to receive a dowel pin which acts to prevent relative rotation of the block and housing during the assembling operation, This pin is not shown' since it is always removed'after the device has been tightened into working position. U I

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing "from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. 7 The present ensbodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims ratherthanby the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency ofthe claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein; f' V What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:--

1. For 'use me vehicle having a post orlever projecting upwardly from the hoof into proximity with the drivers seat, a control; device for some of the vehicle equipment, said devicecomprising a portion designed to be fixed upon the upper end of said post and a hand operable portion rotatably carried by said fixed portion, said operable portion comprising a knob housing the fixed portion and being shiftable axially with respect thereto, and there being means requiring depression of said knob prior to rotation thereof from one of its positions.

2. An electrical control switch designed for use on the gear shift lever of an automobile, said switch comprising relatively rotatable comple be properly grasped for accurate and speedy manipulation.

3. A circuit-controlling switch assembly comprising a housing, a body fitted within the housing for relative rotation with respect to the latter, an elongated contact element carried by said body with its axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation, a conducting wire having an elongated terminal frictionally and detachably connected to said contact element, and means provided between said body and said housing adjacent the contact element for reacting against the housing and holding said conducting wire terminal in connection with said element.

4. For use in combination with the upper end of a rod orlever, a control switch comprising complemental parts, one of which is designed to be mounted upon the lever and the other of which is carried by and at least partially houses the first named portion, contact elements carried by said portions, there being a vertical passageway formed through the first named portion between the lever and said housing portion, and a flexible conducting element projected upwardly through said passageway and thence downwardly into connection with a contact element carried by the first named portion.

5. A rotary switch comprising an inverted cupshaped shell and a base assembled in telescoping relationship, a compression spring between the top of the base and the top of the shell, contacts on the bottom of the base, and a combined contact and stop element carried at the lower end of the shell for engagement with the bottom of the base.

6. For use in a vehicle having a shiftable post projecting upwardly from the floor into proximity to the drivers seat, a hand operable control switch comprising a part designed to be fixed upon said post and a complemental part carried by said fixed part for oscillation relative thereto and of such size and shape as to be quickly and accurately grasped for oscillation, and a compression spring radially arranged relative to the axis of oscillation and reacting between said fixed part and said complemental part.

'7. A manually operable switch designed for attachment upon a conventional rod-like gear shift lever of the type having a manipulating knob detachably carried on its upper end, said switch comprising relatively shiftable portions, one of which is adapted, upon removal of said knob, to be secured to the upper end of said conventional lever, and the other of which is shiftably carried by said secured portion for convenient manual actuation, and complemental electrical contact elements carried by said respective portions for direct cooperation to control a circuit upon actuation of said shiftable portion, said shiftable switch portion having means fitting said detachable knob so that the latter becomes a part thereof and may be utilized for operating both said shiftable switch portion and said conventional shift lever.

8. Foruse with the gear shaft lever of an automobile, a switch, said switch comprising a body part adapted to be fixed on said lever and a top part mounted to rotate on said body part, said top part including a circuit closer movable to operative position when said top part is turned.

9. An electrical control switch designed for use on the gear shift lever of an automotive vehicle, said switch comprising relatively rotatable complemental portions, one of which is adapted to be secured around the upper end of the lever, and the other of which comprises a sleeve arranged substantially concentrically around a part of said secured portion and of such large diameter as to extend laterally well beyond the surface of said upper end of the shift lever, whereby the switch forms a manipulating knob for the lever and can be quickly and accurately actuated with the hand by applying rotational force to the sleeve with the fingers, and oomplemental electrical contact elements carried by said complemental portions.

SEWARD M. ROBERTS. 

